Press Release

05/30/2007 12:45 PM ET

Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino to honor members of the Delaware Valley Action Team for their efforts to encourage youth volunteerism

MLBPA Press Release

PHILADELPHIA -- Prior to tonights game, Phillies players Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino will present certificates of achievement to local high school students who are members of the Delaware Valley Action Team youth volunteer corps. Administered by Volunteers of America and the Major League Baseball Players Trust, the Action Team program encourages young people throughout the United States to volunteer in their communities. To date, Action Teams across the country have inspired more than 9,000 high school students to help more than 38,000 people in need by volunteering in their communities.

Action Teams, consisting of Major League baseball players such as Howard, Rollins and Victorino and area high school student Team Captains, are working together in Boston, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Denver, Detroit, Minneapolis, New York City, Oakland, Philadelphia, Portland (Maine), San Francisco and Seattle. Volunteers of America and the Major League Baseball Players Trust are planning to expand the Action Team program to Cincinnati, Houston, Indianapolis, Mobile and Washington, D.C. during the 2007-08 school-year.

An Action Team-related, school-based curriculum developed in partnership with The Wall Street Journal Classroom Edition carries the message of volunteerism and teaches valuable community service skills to 700,000 high school students in more than 5,000 classrooms across the United States.

Being honored tonight are 2006-07 Delaware Valley Action Team Captains Jaime Collins, Megan Sunderland and Matt Taylor from Gloucester Catholic; Nicole Arnold, Nicole Booth, Dan Cary, Ashley Christman and Brittany Ratcliff from West Deptford High School; Victoria Behrens, Kaitlin Bukowski, Angela Ricci and Luis Sanchez from Camden Catholic and Parin Shah from Collingswood High School. Together these Action Team captains inspired hundreds of their peers from the Philadelphia area to get involved helping people in need. Among their many volunteer activities this past school year Action Team Captains from four high schools inspired hundreds of their peers to volunteer in a number of projects serving more than 60 families, including 100 children, while also raising $4,000 to purchase food and clothing for the needy.

The Major League Baseball Players Trust partnered with Volunteers of America in 2002 to promote the nurturing and well-being of Americas children and their families. The partnership features the personal involvement of Major League baseball players and their families with a variety of programs conducted by Volunteers of America throughout the United States. Also, together they administer the Action Team, a national youth volunteer initiative currently inspiring the next generation of volunteers in Boston, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Denver, Detroit, Minneapolis, New York City, Oakland, Philadelphia, Portland (ME), San Francisco and Seattle.